This week I contributed to a debate on water safety education. Water safety education shouldn’t be limited to swimmers—it’s essential for everyone using our waterways, including sailors, kayakers, paddleboarders, and others.
In my speech, I highlighted the vital role of our independent lifeboats, which also play a strong educational role. The Hamble lifeboat alone has already been called out over 60 times this year.
I also spoke about how funding cuts have led to the closure of school swimming pools, meaning many children are missing out on crucial swimming lessons. We must work to ensure swimming lessons are accessible to all children across the UK.
Cross-party support is essential to make water safety education available to everyone—not just children, but adults too. I’ve seen the dangers first-hand when I helped rescue a man from the river who could have drowned. This is a serious issue, and I fully support all efforts to improve safety on our waterways.
